OBAMACARE AD MEN
As enrollment period opens, pols step up to fill advertising void after Trump cuts
Obamacare health insurance enrollment kicked off on Wednesday, with a drastically shorter enrollment period than in previous years. Consumers have just six weeks, rather than 12, to select their 2018 health care plan.
The enrollment period comes in the wake of President Donald Trump draining almost all funding to promote sign- ups and decreasing the availability of “navigators” who help individuals and businesses shop the marketplace.
The administration announced in August that funding for advertising for Affordable Care Act enrollment would be cut from $ 100 million in 2017, to $ 10 million in 2018, and that funding for navigators would be cut around 40 percent.
The enrollment period ends Dec. 15.
On Wednesday, the Department of Insurance announced a partnership with GoHealth that will allow consumers to receive over- the-phone support from licensed insurance agents while shopping for coverage on Get Covered Illinois.
“We have taken some proactive steps this year to protect consumers as there has been quite a bit of uncertainty in Washington and for residents here in Illinois,” department director Jennifer Hammer said in a statement before the Wednesday press conference.
The department will visit every county and advertise on television and radio stations, CTA lines and social media.
Two Democrats and a Republican are stepping up to fill the advertising void. Democratic gubernatorial candidate J. B. Pritzker is paying about $ 1 million to run radio and digital ads.
Former President Barack Obama has unveiled his own video to promote enrollment.
In the video, he says, “It only takes a few minutes, and the vast majority of people qualify for financial assistance. In fact, 8 in 10 people this year can find plans for $ 75 a month or less. That’s cheaper than a lot of cellphone plans.”
Billionaire Pritzker is selffunding his campaign, and spokeswoman Galia Slayen said the $ 1 million for the ads will come out of Pritzker’s campaign fund.
Health care insurance is an issue that is likely to animate the Democrat base vote and potentially attract crossover voters, a political rea- son GOP Gov. Bruce Rauner, who has been mostly silent about Trump’s attempts to end Obamacare, has decided to use state resources to let people know about enrollment options that started on Wednesday.
According to Brian Gorman, director of Public Education and Consumer Assurance for Get Covered, Illinois won’t be heavily affected by federal cuts.
The two main facilitators of navigators for greater Chicago have received the same amount of federal funding as last year with 72 navigators.
“We’ve been planning for the day that the funding would be cut, so we’ve been partnering with providers and clinics,” said Gorman, who said 149 certified application counselors are also available to help consumers statewide.
When shopping on the Get Covered site, consumers can call the help line, which now has extended hours or if they prefer, they can click the “Make an Appointment” option to schedule a meeting with a navigator near them.
If using the Healthcare. gov site, consumers can select “Find local help” for a list of assisters, agents and brokers. A search for the Chicago area turns up 1,728 results.
According to Hammer, consumers can go directly to their insurance company’s website or to an individual insurance agent, can call the help line or use the local connector on Get Covered to get in- person or over the phone help, or can shop and select a plan on Get Covered or Healthcare. gov.
Get Covered now shows plans on and off the exchange. “We’re letting them shop at all the stores,” Hammer said.
For help navigating the Get Covered website, callcenter agents can be reached at 866- 311- 1119 Monday through Friday from 7 a. m. to 8 p. m. and Saturday and Sunday from 8 a. m. to 6 p. m., except on Thanksgiving Day.